The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

"I feel like I've seen this scene before..."

After thinking for a moment, she suddenly realized and couldn't help but raise her voice in amazement.

"I see! Just like when we were admiring the chrysanthemums, Narita Shirahito still chose to accelerate on the uphill straight, only he accelerated a little later! I was wondering why it looked so familiar!"

Hearing his partner's words, even Starlight Warrior, who had been keeping his eyes on Mi Yu, couldn't help but turn his attention to her.

"Could it be that Narita Shirahito wants to beat Kita Seimei using the same running technique? Because she didn't win the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, she's going to use the same technique to defeat Kita Seimei at the Emperor's Spring Appreciation?!"

Fujino Mark nodded, looking at the arena with eager eyes, and said.

“I understand! Because Hokuho Hoshino also used the same escape tactic as the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, that's why Narita Shirahito sped up at this moment! For her, this is no longer the Emperor's Spring Appreciation, but—”

"The second time to appreciate chrysanthemums."

Just as they were having a heated discussion, a strange voice suddenly came to their ears.

The three of them turned around at the same time and found that it was a racehorse girl with short light blue hair, and judging from her appearance, she did not seem to be a true shonen (a Japanese term for a female saddle horse).

"But in that case, isn't Narita Shirohito destined to lose? She's already lost once in the Chrysanthemum Appreciation under the same conditions, so what difference would it make in the Emperor's Spring Appreciation? She's improving, and so is Hoshino-san!"

Nebula Sky shook their backrests excitedly and shouted.

As a big fan of Northern Star Dream, seeing her idol win under such heavy pressure was undoubtedly very exciting for her.

But before Nebula Sky could be happy for long, several racehorse girls in front of her who had participated in G1-level races shook their heads, and Starlight Knight said to her.

“Unlike when we were admiring chrysanthemums, Narita Shirahito had not yet awakened his domain at that time, so it was naturally difficult for him to defeat Xiuxing Meng, who possessed a domain.”

As a rival who had participated in the Chrysanthemum Appreciation with them, Starlight Man still vividly remembers the scene.

"But things are different now. Putting aside the momentum that Narita Shirahito has built up with his winning streak and the disadvantage that Northern Star Dream has not participated in for a long time, they are already on par in terms of their respective fields."

"Although Narita Shirahito accelerated a bit early, her chances of winning are actually higher than Hokuho Seimei's."

Indeed, as horse girls who had participated in G1-level races, the three of them could also see the source of Narita Shirahito's sudden increase in speed.

"Why?! Aren't they on the same level? At most, it should be a 50/50 chance, right?!"

Nebula Sky asked somewhat anxiously. She didn't know what a domain was, but she had no time to ask now. She just wanted to get more information about the race from the horse girls in front of her.

"It's still because of the different tactics. Compared to the mass escape, Narita Shirahito, who chose the advance tactic, will undoubtedly have more stamina."

"Moreover, this time, Northern Star Dream's escape and Chrysanthemum Appreciation are subtly different. This time, she did not maintain a distance that fluctuated with the second place, but instead focused on widening the gap between them. This will undoubtedly make her physical exertion even more intense."

Fujino Mark looked at the two players on the field and calmly analyzed the situation.

Faced with Narita Shirahito's acceleration, Hidehoshi also chose to accelerate. Even though Narita Shirahito overtook the other racehorse girls with the help of his domain, he couldn't catch up with Hidehoshi for a while.

The two to three horse lengths between them were the result of Xiu Xingmeng's all-out sprint, pushing herself to the limit once again.

"However, the outcome is still uncertain. After all, judging from the performance of other racehorse girls, Hokuho Star Dream should have more stamina than during the Chrysanthemum Sho without having activated her domain."

"And didn't she miraculously speed up again at the end of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation? So the outcome is still hard to say."

During the thank-you ceremony, he patted Nebula Sky on the shoulder and comforted her, saying that as one of the few Northern Star Dream fans present, this child must have been under a lot of pressure, and it would be better to be gentler.

Thinking of this, the stage manager couldn't help but glare fiercely at Fujino Mark King and Starman, who had dashed other people's hopes, as if he wanted to accuse the two guys of not knowing how to speak.

Hearing the words of thanks from the stage, Xingyun Tiankong, whose face had been contorted with tension, finally relaxed a little. Looking at the intense competition, she couldn't help but grab the chair in front of her and shout loudly.

"Miss Star Dream! Go for it!"

Whether her encouragement reached Xiu Xingmeng is hard to say, but it certainly reached the fans of Narita Shirahito nearby. When they heard someone cheering for Xiu Xingmeng, they exchanged glances and joined in the cheering for Narita Shirahito.

The sound of Nebula Sky was instantly drowned out by the surging sound waves, but she was not discouraged at all. Instead, she looked firmly at the arena and stared at the dazzling red streak of light.

Since the senior horse racing girls have already said that it's still uncertain whether Miss Hoshino or Narita Shirohito will win, she is willing to believe that Miss Hoshino can seize this fleeting opportunity to win.

At this moment, Xiu Xingmeng and Narita Shiro are about to pass the third bend on the track. After passing the brief fourth bend ahead, they will reach the final straight.

But at the same time, Mi Yu, who had been accumulating strength and enduring in the shadows until now, finally drew her dagger with a resounding clang.

A ghostly blue rose silently bloomed around him, and a faint, star-like light suddenly burst forth from the blade, his domain fully activated! The moment Mi Yu drew his blade, he had already charged out of the crowd until Narita, Shirahito, and Hoshino arrived!

Chapter 187 Clash of Domains

A crimson lightning flashed in Xiu Xingmeng's peripheral vision, and a beast-like gaze swept over her with a chilling sense of danger.

Narita Shirahito's ferocious power unleashed her thirst for battle on the field, and as the one facing the Lone Wolf's Roar, Xiu Xingmeng naturally felt immense pressure as well.

But this is far from the end. If Xiuxing Meng wants to win the championship of the Emperor's Spring Appreciation Competition, her opponent will not be just Narita Shirohito.

Amidst the fierce and bloody atmosphere, a cold and sharp glint suddenly appeared on the field. Unlike Narita Shirahito's ferocious domain, Mi Yu's assassination was ruthless and indifferent. The black assassin, who had personally extinguished countless hopes, would kill with a single move.

Surrounded by two extreme senses of danger, Xiu Xingmeng's body was also frantically alarming. Her instinctive will to survive surged like a wave, washing over her thoughts. If she hesitated for even a moment, she would be subconsciously succumbing to this call and stepping aside.

However, for Xiu Xingmeng, she had long since learned how to control her body's instinctive reactions through repeated competitions. She had already proven with her unparalleled speed and tenacity who the true master of her body was.

Her unwavering will was so strong that it was even successfully certified by the system and sublimated into a skill called Burning Flame. Therefore, no matter how terrifying the domains of Narita Shirohito and Mi Yu were, Xiu Xingmeng's steps would never stop.

However, this alone was not enough to win her the Emperor's Spring Festival Appreciation Championship.

If Xiuxingmeng wants to win the competition, she must improve upon her current level. Only by breaking through the encirclement of Miyu and Narita Shirohito can she be worthy of the glory of the champion.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped down, and the soil and grass clippings were thrown into the air by the enormous force. Under the gray sky, countless scattered fragments flew wildly among the purple and blue phantoms, seemingly about to turn into utter nothingness in the next second amidst the combined strangulation of fangs and blades.

But just before that second arrived, time and space suddenly froze for a moment. The arc of Narita Shirahito's wolf-like golden eyes in the air was cut off, and the radiance of the blue rose on the brim of the rice hat was also suppressed in place. A buzzing sound, like a sword being drawn, exploded like thunder in the gray sky.

The red shockwave instantly engulfed Narita Shirahito and Miyu. The indescribable heat turned into a furnace, causing their physical strength to burn rapidly. Losing their strength at such a high speed while turning a corner was extremely dangerous. If they were not careful, they would lose control of their bodies and be pulled by centrifugal force to crash into the guardrail.

"Has the domain... finally unfolded?"

"Then let's begin our second battle!"

But Mi Yu and Narita Shirahito are no ordinary people.

When the Demon Blade Domain of Embroidered Star Dream swept in, Mi Yu, who had experienced countless powerful enemies, had already seen through its dangers.

A bright blue light flashed in her eyes, and her petite figure suddenly lowered her center of gravity. Her fluid movements seemed to blend into the racetrack, a testament to the muscle memory she had honed through countless curves.

In the instant he bent forward, his knees maintained a precise golden angle, his toes tracing the familiar curve of the road, silently deflecting the demonic blade's strike into the ground. The momentum accumulated from the high-speed sprint transformed into an invisible cushion, precisely offsetting the momentary imbalance caused by the domain.

As the queen of Kyoto Racecourse, every inch of the grass is imprinted in her memory. With a single breath, she instantly regained control of the rhythm, and the power over her body returned to Mi Yu's hands.

Although her stamina was still burning within the realm of Embroidered Star Dream, Mi Yu had already accumulated enough stamina within that realm beforehand. Even if she let her stamina continue to drain away, she was confident that she could sprint to the finish line with all her might!

Narita Shirahito doesn't have Yone's soul-deep familiarity with Kyoto Racecourse, nor does she have as much experience in dealing with it, but she is, after all, the strongest racehorse girl of her generation, and the racehorse girl who defeated Yone to win the championship in Arima Kinen.

Her already fierce and incomparable domain, under the sharp pressure of the Embroidered Star Dream Demon Blade, not only did not weaken in the slightest, but instead, like a raging fire, it erupted with even more ferocious power!

Perhaps the gloomy sky had completely swallowed up the light, because in that moment of darkness, the twisted and stretched shadow under Narita Shirahito's feet strangely collapsed and solidified inward, disappearing from the field in an instant.

No, that's not right, it didn't disappear!

It was more like it had been completely devoured and melted by a violent force!

The next moment, the overwhelming dark energy roared and materialized behind her, transforming into another illusory figure of Narita Shirahito, forged from pure ferocity, with a form identical to hers.

The phantom of Narita Shirohito, condensed from the essence of her own domain, was like a shadow wolf. As soon as it appeared, it silently howled across the arena, as if it regarded the entire arena as its hunting ground.

The almost tangible pressure crashed into Xiu Xingmeng's demonic blade domain that burned everything!

On the dimly lit racetrack, a burst of intense light suddenly erupted in the eyes of all the racehorse girls! This was the ultimate brilliance unleashed by Narita Shirahito's domain clashing with that of Hideyuki Hoshino!

All the female horse racers present seemed to hear a deafening roar that echoed through the sky, and couldn't help but cast horrified glances at Narita Shirahito and Hideyuki. Even Miyu, who had been following them intently, couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise.

"He actually used a domain to attack a domain?! This Narita Shirahito—"

"Such fierce aggression, such a dangerous nature!"

Mi Yu never expected that Narita Shirahito would improve so much since their parting at Arima Memorial. Not only has his physical fitness improved, but the strength of his domain has also undergone a complete transformation, as if there is no limit to it.

What she didn't know was that Narita Shirohito's domain wasn't originally this strong; it only became this way after experiencing Xiuxing Meng's neglect and a situation almost identical to the Chrysanthemum Appreciation.

By channeling anger, resentment, and reason into the burning domain, Narita Shirahito gained absolute strength, much like the burning flame of Xiuxing Dream, exchanging a price for power.

Unlike Xiu Xingmeng, Narita Shirahito, who already possesses extremely high talent, does not need to pay such a price. As long as her emotions reach their peak, she can make her domain evolve once again, just like it is now.

Under the collision of domains, the scorching high pressure that had been burning his physical strength and will in front of Narita Shirahito was torn open by a crack, just like a torrent being cut by sharp fangs.

She stared at the red streak of light so close to her, and let out a meaningless growl like a wild beast.

Chapter 188 Standing Tall with Sword in Hand

For a long time, the instant the demon sword was drawn and slashed was Xiu Xingmeng's winning move. Both the Golden Master and the Good Opera lost speed because of that momentary loss of power, allowing Xiu Xingmeng to seize the path to victory.

But things are different now. Narita Shirahito has almost a whole year more training time than the golden masters and good opera singers of that time.

His physique and field have grown rapidly under the influence of orthodoxy. If the current Narita Shirahito were to face his former self in the Japanese derby, he would definitely be five or even more horse lengths ahead.

Moreover, this doesn't even take into account the differences between the domains. The domains of Good Opera and Golden Master only consume physical strength, but Narita Shirahito and Xiu Xingyu are similar. Their domains involve greater risks, but they can also bring greater power in return.

Embroidered Star Dream also relied on this field, which combines extreme risks and power, to win against Good Opera and Golden Master on many occasions.

As for Miyu, she is not only a veteran of the racetrack, but also the current long-distance racehorse girl who is most familiar with the Kyoto racetrack. Naturally, she has her own solutions to the demon sword's slashes.

Now that the demon sword has been drawn, the remaining stamina burning effect is not negligible for Narita Shirohito and Miyu, but they either have accumulated stamina or have evolved their domains, so maintaining full speed to the finish line should not be a problem.

With the help of the domain, the distance between Narita Shirahito and Miyu and Xiuxing Meng is rapidly closing. When they cross the final bend and enter the final straight, the difference between them will be no more than a horse's length.

Xiu Xingmeng's previous advantage gained through the Great Escape has been completely exhausted. Facing two opponents who have fully activated their domains, she seems to have no chance of victory.

"Miss Star Dream..."

In the stands, Xingyun Tiankong, whose fingers were already white from clenching her fists, did not stop at all. She had forgotten the pain and devoted all her attention to the competition.

The horse girls in front of them, who had been chattering incessantly since before the race, had long since stopped talking. They had also turned all their attention to the racetrack, and all that remained between them was the sound of their heavy breathing.

"Narita Shirahito is sprinting! So fast! He's almost overtaking Hokuho Seimu!"

"But Miyu is right behind her, her speed is not to be outdone. Is she going to use her victory at the Emperor's Spring Festival to wash away the defeat at the Arima Memorial last year?!"

In the commentary room, in the stands, and almost the entire Kyoto Racecourse, all eyes were focused on Narita Shirahito and Yone Yu. In most people's eyes, having lost the advantage of a great escape, Hideyuki no longer had any chance of winning.

With more than 300 meters to go, Xiu Xingmeng, who had put all her strength into the front, had no strength left to beat Narita Shirahito and Mi Yu.

But just as Kentaro Sugimoto remained silent and Sora Nebula clenched his fists, the scorching air in the arena suddenly dissipated.

"How do I reply—?"

Before Mi Yuchi could even be surprised, the next second, an even more intense demonic blade was drawn from Xiu Xingmeng's arms once again, slashing towards Narita Shirahito and Mi Yuchi with unstoppable force.

This earth-shattering change startled Narita Shirahito and Miyu almost simultaneously, but their muscle instincts allowed them to react before the demon sword could strike.

Mi Yu once again used her knowledge of the track to avoid the Demon Blade's edge, but unlike the last time when she was at ease, this time her dodge was a life-or-death struggle, and she was just a hair's breadth away from crashing into the guardrail.

Narita Shirahito then used her domain to directly clash with the demon sword once again. After another burst of roaring sounds between the blade and the fangs, she once again maintained full speed and used her domain to neutralize Xiu Xingmeng's attack.

This time, however, the shadow beneath his feet was no longer as solid and deep as before; instead, it appeared to be elusive and distorted.

But before the two of them could even catch their breath, the scorching heat that had swept across the arena vanished once again.

"Varied--?!"

Narita Shirohito's pupils dilated, but before she could react, another buzzing sound, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, echoed throughout the arena. As the aura of iron and fire reappeared before her eyes, Xiu Xingmeng drew her demon sword for the third time.

Her red cloak, like the cold glint of a blade, pierced deeply into the eyes of Narita Shirahito and Miyu. As another bone-chilling sense of danger swept across their necks, Narita Shirahito and Miyu could only grit their teeth and use the same method as before to dodge the attack once again.

This time, they could no longer maintain their original full-speed sprint and had to slow down slightly in order to resist Xiu Xingmeng's knife. The distance that had been gradually closing was stopped and immediately widened again!

"Who will be the victor—Narita Shirahito or Mi—what?!"

"Why did they all slow down?! Could it be that they're running out of stamina? But how come Northern Star Dream, who has been on the run, is still able to keep up?!"

"What on earth is wrong with her?!"

Rin Akasaka's shocked shouts echoed the sentiments of everyone at the Kyoto Racecourse at that moment. Just moments ago, it seemed like they were about to overtake Shigeyuki, but the situation suddenly took such a dramatic turn, which was hard for many spectators who had supported Shirohito Narita because of the championship to accept.

However, nothing outside the arena could change the arena. Just as they were either shocked or furious, Xiu Xingmeng drew her demon sword for the fourth time on the arena.

At this moment, in Narita Shirahito and Mi Yu's vision, that scarlet streak of light had solidified into the Embroidered Star Dream itself.

Her deep eyes were as cold as ice. Her fingertips lightly traced the edge of the demon sword, and the blood mist on the blade moved, with every inch of its cold light overflowing with a ferocious ferocity that burned away all life. She held the sword horizontally in front of her, as if she were speaking silently to Narita Shirahito and Mi Yu.

"You can only go this far."

A suffocating aura of danger instantly enveloped Narita Shirahito and Miyu. The moment the illusory declaration fell, the demon sword was drawn once again and slashed down!

Having already exhausted their energy in the previous offensive, Narita Shirahito and Mi Yu were naturally unable to resist any longer. Their original speed decreased again and again, and in just a few breaths, the distance between them and Xiu Xingmeng had increased to more than three horse lengths!

"First she made a great escape... then she activated her domain at full power several times. Just how much stamina does she have left?!"

Mi Yu stared in disbelief at the red light before her. Xiu Xingmeng's stamina was like an abyss, completely beyond her comprehension. The stamina she had accumulated in her domain had been gradually depleted by the repeated strikes, yet Xiu Xingmeng seemed capable of unleashing another strike!

"I will catch up with you! I will definitely catch up with you!"

With the enhancement of the domain, Narita Shirohito's golden pupils have completely transformed into ferocious, wolf-like vertical pupils.